The expansion brings the Bunnell campus to more than 48,000 square feet, combining manufacturing, R&D and Vidya’s U.S. headquarters.
The company, which began in botanical extracts, said its expansion into biotics was driven by market demand and a concentration on vertical integration.
“Vertical integration enables us to deliver multiple ingredient classes with greater control and flexibility,” Chandra Sekhar, global VP at Vidya, told NutraIngredients. “The new U.S. facility represents the next phase—bringing manufacturing in-house to improve speed, customization and end-to-end capability.”
He said the decision to expand in the United States was influenced by logistics and market growth.
“Manufacturing in the U.S. reduces our environmental footprint, particularly around shipping, and increases speed,” Sekhar said. “It reflects our belief in the U.S. market and our commitment to supporting customers locally.”
Separate buildings aim to limit cross-contamination
A central feature of the site is the physical separation of spore-forming and non-spore-forming probiotic production into different buildings. The company said the setup is the first in North America to fully dedicate separate buildings to each category.
Subhendu Nayak, director of R&D, probiotics, at Vidya explained that spore-forming bacteria can produce conditions that affect other strains.
“Once spore bacteria become active, many produce antibacterial compounds that can lead to rapid die off of non-spore forming bacteria,” Nayak said. “These compounds can become airborne, making them difficult to fully remove.”
According to the company, separating production environments may reduce the need for high overages used to maintain label claims.
“This will help improve stability for non-spore forming bacteria, including Akkermansia muciniphila, and reduce the need for extreme overages,” Nayak said.
Facility supports pilot through commercial production
The site is configured to handle pilot batches, clinical production and commercial volumes.
“We use different equipment sizes to deliver consistent, tailored batch sizes,” Nayak said. “That, along with trained staff, allows for faster turnaround and changeovers.”
The company identified capsules and stick packs as key formats, with formulation approaches focused on moisture control.
“For capsules, we use low water activity excipients to improve strain stability,” Nayak said. “This helps maintain viability over time.”
“For stick packs, we combine low water activity excipients with desiccated film to further enhance stability,” he added.
Additional US expansion planned
The company said it has acquired additional properties in the United States as part of its expansion plans.
“We have already purchased strategic properties in the US that will expand our capabilities and product portfolio,” Sekhar said. “We plan to share more details in the near future.”
The facility is expected to support more than 100 jobs once fully operational.
